Nat'l Assembly speaker discusses parliamentary cooperation with US ambassador
Summary
National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik met new U.S. Ambassador Michelle Steel in Seoul on Friday and discussed ways to expand parliamentary diplomacy between South Korea and the United States. Cho said he hoped Steel would help develop bilateral ties and voiced support for dialogue on the Korean Peninsula. Steel said legislatures play an important role in foreign policy and pledged support for parliamentary exchanges.
Key Facts
- Cho said the Korea-U.S. Parliamentarians Union, established last year to promote parliamentary exchanges, currently has no counterpart in the U.S. Congress.
- Steel said Korean lawmakers visit the United States nearly every year and that U.S. lawmakers also visit Korea regularly.
- Steel became the second Korean American to serve as U.S. ambassador to Seoul.
- The ambassador post had been vacant for 18 months after Philip Goldberg left in January 2025.
National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik, right, poses with U.S. Ambassador to Korea Michelle Steel during their meeting at the parliamentary building in Seoul, Friday. Yonhap
National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik met with new U.S. Ambassador to Korea Michelle Steel on Friday and discussed ways to boost parliamentary diplomacy between the two countries.
Cho also said he expects Steel to contribute to the development of Korea-U.S. ties, citing her extensive experience and expertise in U.S. politics, and her interest in and affection for Korea.
"I deeply sympathize with President (Donald) Trump's determination and commitment to opening the door to dialogue on the Korean Peninsula, where relations remain strained, and building a stable peace regime on the peninsula," Cho told Steel in their meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul.
He also voiced regret that the Korea-U.S. Parliamentarians Union, a parliamentary group established last year to promote parliamentary exchanges between Seoul and Washington, currently lacks a counterpart in the U.S. Congress.
In response, Steel stressed that there have been active discussions on ways to further develop the alliance, with Korean lawmakers visiting the U.S. nearly every year and vice versa.
She vowed active support to help facilitate such exchanges, underscoring the important role legislatures play in shaping foreign policy and international relations.
Steel became the second Korean American to serve as U.S. ambassador to Seoul, filling the post that had remained vacant for 18 months following the departure of her predecessor, Philip Goldberg, who served from July 2022 to January 2025.
Explore More
- Q.
- Q.
- Q.